We are on a mid-afternoon British Airways flight to London with a connection to Istanbul. It is 6350 air miles from Seattle to Istanbul. We like flying British Air because they offer a "Premium Economy" seating option that includes wider seats, more leg room and leg rests-basically a recliner and a lot like business class was years ago. And the price is nearer that of economy seating rather than business class. It is a little over 9 hours flight time to London with a 2 hour layover, then an almost 4 hour flight to Istanbul. We land at 3:30 PM, one day later. Istanbul is 9 hours ahead of Seattle. My brother, Gerry, and his wife , Sue, will be flying in from Chicago and will meet us in Istanbul.

As usual we are going there one day before the official tour begins, as we want some time to readjust to the new time zone. Also if there are any glitches along the way we have some cushion

. We have booked a walking culinary tour for Sunday, 3/30, where we get to taste about 15 different local foods. Should be a lot of fun.

Turkey Trivia: Turkey has a population of about 76 million and is about the physical size of Texas. Istanbul is the largest city with a estimated population of 14 million. 99% of the population are Muslim. The country shares borders with 8 other countries, including Syria, Iran and Iraq. But we are a long way from Crimea! Our trip does not take us anywhere near the surrounding countries so we are not concerned about our safety. It is the only country that is on two continents.

Turkey has a vast difference in geography, ranging from sea level up to Mt Ararat which is 5,137 meters (16,854 ft) high. In 2012 Turkey ranked 6th in the world for tourism.

Comments

Annette Landvatter
on Mar 28, 2014 at 01:27PM

It is Friday, March 28th, 8:00 am and I am so excited for the two of you. Interesting information, air miles and British Airways should consider themselves fortunate to be part of this trip...can't wait for the history to be shared.

Have a wonderful time and takes notes on all the food and what spices were used. Hugs Annette

ps Can you fly British Airways from Milwaukee, WI to Seattle, WA (jk)

Bruce Bender
on Mar 28, 2014 at 03:51PM

I love reading about your trips. Keep the posts coming and have a GREAT time!